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AP Photo/Dmitry LovetskyWASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans and Democrats reached agreement late Monday on a new package of sanctions on Russia amid the firestorm over Russia's meddling in the presidential election and investigations into Moscow's possible collusion with members of President Donald Trump's campaign.

The Trump administration has blamed the Russian government for a series of cyber attacks targeting American and European nuclear power plants and other critical utilities dating back at least two years, raising fears that the Kremlin could disrupt the West's critical infrastructure in the event of a conflict.
The hackers also reportedly targeted the overall energy sector, along with commercial facilities, aviation, manufacturing and the water supply, according to a U.S. security alert published Thursday.

The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has posted a new and improved list of cyber-related sanctions targeting several Russian individuals and entities.
Among those sanctioned are Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a Russian caterer known as "Putin’s Chef."

Associated Press/Chuck BurtonThe United States should be concerned about reports that far-right American activists may have helped a Russian hacking attack on the French election, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said Tuesday.

Following yesterday's almost unanimous House vote to pass new sanctions against Russia, on Wednesday Moscow threatened to retaliate, saying that - as expected - the action has made it all but impossible to achieve the Trump administration’s goal of improved relations, and vowed to retaliate to the latest sanctions which Russia views as senseless and destruc

Two days after the House passed bipartisan legislation in a 419-3 vote codifying and imposing further sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea and preventing the president from acting unilaterally to remove certain sanctions on Russia, moments ago the Senate also overwhelmingly approved the measure in a 98-2 vote. Only Senators Rand Paul and Bernie Sanders voting no.

Earlier this month, as fighting raged in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian rebels and forces loyal to the Western-backed government in Kyiv, Dmitry Kiselyov, the pugnacious, middle-aged journalist who heads Russia’s main state news agency, gazed defiantly into a TV studio camera. “What is Russia preparing for?” he asked. As if in reply, the director cut to an ominous backdrop image of an intercontinental ballistic missile emerging from an underground launch silo.

After unleashing a 10-page report of the death and destructive economic impact they could have on Russia via sanctions, the European leaders have agreed to issue travel bans, some asset-freezes, and trade curbs on various new individuals and business entities. The Goldilocks sanctions... just enough to please Washington, not enough to infuriate Putin into 'boomerangs'.